Next week Chicagoland's Ryan's Hope will hit the road and storm the Canadian border, determined to lay siege to an igloo and return it to Illinois for their own nefarious purposes. We're giving away a pair of tickets for each show on the Canadian tour, so click below to get your name on that list!

But wait, you're not in Canada yet you still want to share in the glory? Well then check below for our merch contest to win some neat swag from Punknews Records. That's right folks, there are two contests to be found below, and we might just look the other way and let you enter both.

You'll find the tour dates sandwiched between the two contests, so check them out. Ryan's Hope is supporting their recent full length Apocalypse in Increments.

Tour Contest - The Prizes

1 winner per show will receive:

A pair of passes to an upcoming Ryan's Hope Canadian tour date.

Rules

Open to if you can get to the show.

To enter, please use the form below.

If you don't want your email address added to the mailing lists, uncheck the mailing list option in the form below.

Punknews.org will only contact you if you win.

You also give us permission to use your first name and city when announcing the winners.

I'll start the discussion. First things first: you were not first. It was a close call but you didn't quite make it. You did however come in second place which is still notable. Second: I'm out of cookies. I need to find more. Carry on.

Anybody else hate it when punk bands wear metal shirts in their photos? I mean, I don't hate metal. I like a few of the more political punk bands (Rage, etc.), but that whole scene (and the fans) have become one big joke.

I don't know. I'll probably get flamed for this comment. It just kinda ticked me off.

a) I'm pretty sure most people would categorize Rage as "metal." If they aren't, I don't really care.

b) Most metal bands have become really lame, and their fans have always been lame since the 80s. Look no further than black metal, death metal, every Victory metal band, etc. The whole genre is just filled with anti-intellectual, tough-guy bullshit.

making a bold statement such as that would lead one to believe you've actually listening to the greater majority of the metal out there today. which i can assume you have not. especially when you base your opinion of metal on bands that are on Victory.

do yourself a favour and don't speak of things you know nothing about.

Most metal from the 80s sucked. Most metal from the 90s (yes, most of Metallica's discography) sucked. Most metal of the current decade sucks. All death metal and black metal blows. The whole screaming and groaing thing? it sucks.

You can continue to listen to Norma Jean, kiddo. I'll draw the line at Dragonforce (who are good because they don't take themselves so seriously and are ALSO talented).

Norma Jean isn't metal? Why? Because you say they aren't? I'm pretty sure they're metal. They sure seem to think so. You're just ashamed of that fact, and that's the point. Most metal nowadays is pretty emmbarassing.

First, most of Metallica's discography is probably from the 80s. And a lot of it was political and intellectual. Consider the song "One," for example (off of "And Justice for All...", which looks like the shirt he is wearing in the picture). It is heavily anti-war, based on a movie from the early 70s. A lot of metal in the 80s was anti-war.

Megadeth, another 80s metal band that is still around today, is even more political. Countdown to Extinction supported animal rights the very same year Propagandhi released their first album.

If by "most metal from the 80s" you mean Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and various other spandex-wearing bands who girls still sing along to today, then you are right. But if that is your idea of metal from the 80s and metal overall, then you have an extremely warped perception. It would be like people saying all punk today is shitty and superficial because they heard Fall Out Boy on the radio.

1. The 80's was the golden era of metal. Megadeth, Metallica, Maiden, Testament, Exodus...you get the picture.
2. Dragonforce isn't all that great, anyone can train themselves to play fast. Not saying they aren't good musicians, but very much overrated.

Death Metal isn't supposed to be intellectual music, you can say the same about punk. Death Metal meant to be fast, technical, and heavy. At least you could appreciate the ability it takes to play in that genre of music. And when you say 80's metal, do you mean Motley Crue, Poison or Megadeth and Metallica...because they're very different.

If someone in a punk band is wearing a Black Sabbath, Kyuss, or Slayer shirt I'm about 5000% more likely to check that band out. I'm talking about bands that seem like they would play "real" punk or old-school hardcore/thrash though. I'm sure a ton of shitty metalcore and general "scene kids" where Slayer and Iron Maiden shirts because they think they look cool.

they don't seem like girls jeans to me, maybe skinny jeans though but the cuff doesn't look like would be a skinny jean. Girls jeans a re cut generally to accentuate the female figure (i.e. having hips), it is a fairly common mistake to think all tight pairs of jeans are girls jeans. Now you know.

Just a couple of notes folks:
Ottawa is NOT happening at End Hits. I'll have a new venue in a day or so.
Underdog in Peterborough is no longer hosting the show. Ryan's Hope CAD agenty will host the shw in his basement at 283 Park St. North. Email the agent for an invite/hold.
Wed. July 25th will be a headling show in Toronto at Bathurst and College. We're looking for two local bands to play. If you're in aband reach out to Robbie at:
hotrodtouring1 at hotmail.com

Also the K-W needs a couple of locals.

We booked this tour for fun NOT for love of money so please help out if you can folks wherever you can.

Finally, punknews.orrg should have a nice big tour to announce for Ryan's Hope to Cross Canada in the following weeks.

-Robbie

PS
See I told you last night something/someone would suffer a horrible death! LOL